A giant spaceship in the tail of Halley’s Coment? Naked space vampires trying to take over the world? Sir Patrick Stewart? It can only be The Cannon Group’s sci-fi epic LIFEFORCE.

Cannon are one of the most notorious film studios of the 1980s. Headed by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, Cannon became famous for its shlock scripts, cheap productions and high-concept actioners that never lived up to expectations. As a result, they produced some of the most infamous films of the decade including American Ninja and The Delta Force.

Towards the end of the 1980s, the two cousins decided to loosen the purse strings and finance some big-budget productions in order to be taken seriously by Hollywood. One was Masters of the Universe. The other was Lifeforce.

Perhaps most famous for starlet Mathilda May spending 90% of the film naked, the film (directed by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre‘s Tobe Hooper) sees a trio of space vampires finding their way to Earth, before creating panic and chaos on the streets of London.

Bear in mind, this film was Globus and Golan’s attempt to be embraced by the mainstream film studios. In fact, the title was changed from The Space Vampires to Lifeforce, because they wanted to shed the B-movie connotations that Cannon was associated with!

It didn’t work and grossed less than $12 million at the U.S. box office. It had cost $25 million.

When: 8.00pm, 21st May 2015

Rating: 18

Location: The Planetarium, At-Bristol

Tickets: £5 in advance / £6 on the door (All profits will be going to Refuge)

TICKETS ARE NOW SOLD OUT (This film is certified ’18’)

American and British space travelers discover humanoids while exploring near Halley’s Comet. The astronauts bring three of these aliens aboard their spaceship and head back to earth. However, their guests turn out to be evil vampires who kill all but one of the astronauts — Carlsen. After the ship arrives in London, the monsters — led by a beautiful female — escape and wreak havoc throughout the city, transforming humans into zombies. 

“Quite possibly the silliest horror movie ever made. On the other hand, you get to see Patrick Stewart kiss a man full on the mouth” Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium

“How often do you find a sci-fi/horror hybrid that dares to walk the high wire? Not often enough, I think. For that reason alone, Lifeforce deserves to be rediscovered.” Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat

“Frequently outlandish and far from profound, it’s nonetheless a box-office bomb that, like its horror-maestro director, deserved quite a bit better.” Nick Shager, The Screengrab